Hibiscus plant named ‘Summer Carnival’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of winter-hardy, herbaceous, perennial, hybrid Hibiscus plant named ‘Summer Carnival’ comprising an upright habit of multiple, well-branched, basal stems producing flowers near the top of the plant. Flowers are hot cerise, and the calyces display light green sepal centers and pale yellow margins while in bud and after flower drop. The foliage is primarily three-lobed, deeply incised, and grayish-green with creamy irregular margins frequently blushed with reddish purple. The stems exposed to high ultraviolet light develop reddish coloration.

Botanical classification: Hibiscus hybrid (L.).

Variety denomination: ‘Summer Carnival’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

The first public disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of a sale,was made by Walters Gardens, Inc. on Nov. 27, 2017. The new plant wasthen sold to the public through Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. WaltersGardens, Inc. obtained the new plant and all information relatingthereto, from the inventor. No plants of Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival’ havebeen sold, in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has anydisclosure of the new plant been made, more than one year prior thefiling date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within oneyear was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct hardy, herbaceous,Hibiscus plant, Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival’ discovered by the inventor onAug. 10, 2014 in the research fields of a wholesale perennial nursery inZeeland, Mich. The new plant is a branch chimeral sport selected from anunnamed unreleased proprietary seedling. During the trial process thenew plant was assigned the breeder code labeled 14-SP-HIB-317. Bothparents have a complex mixture of species in them, comprising thespecies: moscheutos and coccineus. Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival’ was firstasexually propagated by shoot tip cuttings on Aug. 10, 2014 and later bysterile shoot-tip tissue culture at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich.The resultant asexually propagated plants have been found to be stableand true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival’ differs from its parents as well as all otherhardy herbaceous Hibiscus known to the applicant in distinct traits. Thetwo parents that produced the original plant that formed the branchchimeral sport have not been maintained, nor have photographs beenmaintain, so no comparison can be made with these two parents other thanthey had no variegation in the foliage. The most similar Hibiscus inflower color known to the applicant are Hibiscus ‘Sultry Kiss’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. 22,300 and Hibiscus ‘Summer in Paradise’ U.S. Plant Pat.No. 28,730. ‘Sultry Kiss’ has flowers that are slightly deeper reddishcolor. ‘Summer in Paradise’ is shorter in habit, and ‘Sultry Kiss’ istaller and broader in habit than the new plant. Both ‘Sultry Kiss’ and‘Summer in Paradise’ have flower petals that are more overlapping thanthe new plant, but neither have the variegated margin of the new plant.The most similar plant known to exist to the applicant in habit and leafform is ‘Plum Fantasy’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,986, but ‘Plum Fantasy’has a slightly more cupped flower of a different color, is slightlytaller and broader in habit, and the foliage lacks the marginalvariegation of the new plant. Hibiscus syriacus ‘America Irene Scott’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,579 has yellowish marginal-variegated foliage anddouble pink flowers but it is not herbaceous, nor does the variegationproduce the nice reddish-purple blushing in the creamy margin.

The original mutated parent was not maintained and therefore nocomparison of the new plant to the parent is possible, however themutation parent had no variegated foliage, but similar is most othercharacteristic and identical in flower color.

Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival’ is a unique hardy herbaceous Hibiscus withthe following combined traits:

-   -   1. Winter-hardy, perennial with upright habit of multiple,        well-branched, basal stems.    -   2. Many rotate flowers of hot cerise produced near the top of        plant.    -   3. Flower buds are distinctly variegated grayish-green with        creamy margins along entire length of sepals.    -   4. Grayish-green, deeply-incised, primarily tri-lobed foliage        with an irregular creamy margin frequently blushed with        reddish-purple.    -   5. Stems exposed to high ultraviolet light develop reddish        stems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance ofthe plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation incolor.

FIG. 1 shows a three-year-old plant in full flower in a trial garden.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flower.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the foliage with variegation.

FIG. 4 shows flower bud and the reddish stems developed when exposed tohigh ultraviolet light.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Hibiscus ‘SummerCarnival’, has not been observed under all possible environments. Thephenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions,such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, butwithout any change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of three-year-old plants in the loamy-sand, open-fieldfull-sun trials of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplementalfertilizer and water as needed. The plants are of natural habit and werenot treated with plant growth regulators, nor were they pinched at anytime in the growth year.

-   Parentage: The branch chimeral sport parent is an unreleased,    unnamed proprietary seedling of two unreleased, proprietary parents    (both not patented);-   Propagation:    -   -   Method.—Stem cuttings and sterile shoot-tip plant tissue            culture division.        -   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture.—About two weeks.        -   Rooting habit.—Normal, branching, developing thick to about            2.2 cm diameter, fleshy; root color creamy yellow between            RHS 161D and lighter than RHS 159D depending on soil type.        -   Crop time.—Under normal summer growing conditions 12 to 16            weeks to flower in a four-liter container from cutting.            Plant vigor is very good.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial with about 40            thick upright and heavily branched main stems producing an            upright spreading mound to about 133.0 cm tall and about            185.0 cm wide; with up to 15 branches per main stem, average            about 8 primary branches per main stem protruding at about            45° from horizontal; flowering in the top 65.0 cm of plant            with up to about 46 flowers per main stem, average flowers            per stem about 30.        -   Stem.—Terete, glabrous, glaucous; to about 133.0 cm tall and            about 22.0 mm diameter at base, average about 122.0 cm tall            and about 18.0 mm diameter at base.        -   Stem color.—Variable, proximal two-thirds nearest RHS 138B            with irregular longitudinal streaks of nearest RHS 158C,            distally with more ultraviolet light exposure nearest RHS            182C to nearest RHS 183D.        -   Lateral branches.—Average about 8 per stem; terete,            glabrous, glaucous; to about 50.0 cm long and 8.0 mm            diameter, smaller distally.        -   Lateral branch color.—Variable with light exposure from RHS            146D in low light to RHS 182C in moderate light and RHS 182A            in higher light.        -   Internode.—About 5 nodes per stem below branches and 26            total nodes below flowers; average internode length about            3.6 cm on unpinched plant.        -   Internode color.—Same as surrounding stem; in proximal            two-thirds nearest RHS 138B with irregular longitudinal            streaks of nearest RHS 158C, distally with more ultraviolet            light exposure nearest RHS 182C to nearest RHS 183D.-   Foliage description: Alternate; ovate; coarsely and irregularly    dentate; apex and side lobes acute; base rounded; glabrous abaxial    and adaxial; moderately incised one-third of way to petiole;    trilobate; slightly lustrous adaxial surface, matte abaxial surface;    leaf blades to about 21.0 cm long and about 13.8 cm across, average    blade size 12.5 cm long and 7.0 cm wide; variegated with irregular    width between 0.5 mm and 4.5 mm of creamy margin sometimes tinted    deeply with reddish purple; no fragrance detected; lobing medium.    -   -   Foliage color.—Young expanding leaves — adaxial nearest            blend between RHS N138A and RHS 191B with margin of variable            blushing of nearest RHS N187D to RHS 59C, abaxial nearest            RHS 148C with margin of nearest RHS 155A with variable            blushing, but fainter than adaxial, of nearest 59C; distal            mature leaves — adaxial nearest RHS N138A with margins of            nearest RHS NN155B with variable and irregular blushing of            nearest RHS 187C to RHS N187C, abaxial nearest RHS 148C with            margins of nearest RHS NN155A and variable and irregularly            blushing on margins of nearest RHS 59C.        -   Veins.—Palmate; glabrous, slightly glaucous, matte surface            abaxial and adaxial; costate on abaxial.        -   Vein color.—Young adaxial nearest RHS N138D with faint            tinting of nearest RHS 185D, young abaxial nearest RHS 155A            with faint tinting of nearest RHS 186C; mature adaxial            nearest RHS 147C with some proximal blushing of nearest RHS            187C, mature abaxial nearest RHS 155A with faint tinting of            nearest RHS 186C.        -   Petioles.—Mostly cylindrical, proximally slightly applanate            on adaxial side near base; glaucous; glabrous; to about 12.5            cm long and 5.5 mm diameter at base, average size about 8.5            cm long and 4.5 mm wide at base.        -   Petiole color.—On young expanding leaves adaxial between RHS            51B and RHS 51C, abaxial between RHS N148D in lower light            and RHS 51D in higher light intensity; on mature leaves            adaxial between RHS 181D and RHS 181C, abaxial or adaxial in            protection from heavy light between RHS 145A and RHS 146D.-   Flower description: Complete; actinomophic; upward to outward    facing; rotate; lasting up to two days on plant; no fragrance    detected;    -   -   Buds one day prior to opening.—Oblong with acute apex and            bluntly rounded base; sepals mostly adpressed to petals,            carinate at sepal fusions; about 6.5 cm long and about 3.0            cm diameter at middle.        -   Bud color.—Exposed petal color nearest RHS 59B.        -   Epicalyx.—Typically 10 to 11 per flower; linear; margin            entire and micro-ciliolate, glabrous; dull surface abaxial            and adaxial; narrowly acute apex and truncate base, arcuate            upwards near apex; about 3.3 cm long and base of about 3.0            mm wide.        -   Epicalyx color.—Adaxial and abaxial blend between RHS 146D            and RHS 148D, rarely nearest RHS 155D.        -   Calyx.—Fused in basal 1.7 cm to form star-shaped hypanthium            about 5.1 cm across and 3.5 cm deep; persist after flower            dehiscence.        -   Sepals.—Five; acute apex; glabrous; margin entire, edentate,            variegated to width of about 4.0 mm wide; abaxial and            adaxial surfaces matte; about 3.5 cm long, about 10.0 mm            wide at fusion.        -   Sepal color.—Adaxial center between RHS 145C and RHS 145B            and margins nearest RHS NN155B; abaxial center lighter than            RHS 146D and margins nearest RHS NN155C; veins not apparent,            same as surrounding tissue.        -   Flowers.—Solitary, up to 40 per main stem without pinching;            slightly cupped petals; mostly outwardly facing; natural            spread to about 16.0 cm across and 5.0 cm deep from center            to edge of petals; smaller in later season; with lustrous            red eye nearest RHS 59B about 3.5 cm across; persist for one            to two days; effective for at least 8 weeks beginning early            August; no detectable fragrance.        -   Petals.—Five; microscopically puberulent abaxial and            adaxial, glabrous eye; adnate to the androecium to form a            column, imbricate to about 50% overlapping at widest part            (petals overlapping to 50% of the petals on either side);            veins longitudinal, primary and secondary veins slightly            impressed on adaxial and costate abaxial; petal shape:            rounded with distinct claw and limb; margins: entire,            edentate; apex: rounded; base: short claw-like; size:            average about 9.2 cm across and about 9.5 cm long, claw base            about 7.0 mm across (larger in earlier part of flowering            season); undulation weak.        -   Petal color.—Adaxial between RHS 60C and RHS 59C with eye            nearest RHS 59B, and veins in longitudinal center near RHS            59C; abaxial between RHS 53C and RHS 60C with veins between            RHS 53B and RH 53C.        -   Gynoecium.—Single; partially enclosed in column; Column:            glabrous except base micro-puberulent, lustrous; about 5.2            cm long and base about 6.0 mm across; with pistil protruding            about 8.0 mm; Column color: nearest RHS 56C with            longitudinal streaks of nearest RHS, distally between RHS            46B and RHS 46C; Style: micro-puberulent in region above            column; about 4.0 cm long, penta-furcate in about distal 7.0            mm; branch diameter about 1.0 mm; color nearest RHS 46B;            Stigma: typically five; flattened globose, puberulent, about            1.5 mm in diameter and 1.0 mm tall; color nearest RHS 53A;            Ovary: superior, semi-globose, rounded apex and flat base;            about 8.0 mm across at base and about 7.0 mm tall; acute            apex; color typically between RHS 145B and RHS 145C, rarely            longitudinally striated with blend between RHS 153D and RHS            162D.        -   Androecium.—Filaments: numerous, about 100; about 3.5 mm            long and about 0.3 mm diameter; attached along nearly the            entire length of column; color nearest RHS 56D with a light            tint of nearest RHS 46C; Anthers: flattened ellipsoid;            dorsifixed; about 2.0 mm long and 1.50 mm across and about            0.8 mm thick; color nearest RHS 158B; Pollen: abundant,            globose, less than 0.1 mm long; color nearest RHS 8A.-   Pedicel: Cylindrical, glabrous, glaucous; length from base of sepal    to abscission point about 12.0 mm long, from abscission point to    stem node average about 4.0 cm long; about 3.0 mm wide; longer on    early flowers and decreasing in distal flowers; color variable    depending on light exposure, nearest RHS 146D protected from high    light exposure and nearest RHS 181C in high light exposure;-   Peduncle: Cylindrical, glabrous, glaucous; flowering in the distal    50.0 cm; color nearest RHS 184B;-   Fruit: Penta-loculicidal capsule; pubescent along inner septa,    glabrous outside; nearly globose, slightly cuspidate apex and    flattened base; about 12.0 mm long and 12.0 mm diameter; color    nearest RHS N199B when mature;-   Seed: Minutely floccose; globose; about 1.5 mm in diameter; color    nearest RHS N200A;-   Resistance: Hibiscus ‘Summer Carnival’ has not displayed any pest    and disease resistance beyond that typical of hardy perennial    Hibiscus. The new plant has not shown susceptibility to any form of    leaf spot, root rot, or stem blight but may shown typical    susceptibility to Atomacera decepta.-   Growth requirements: The plant grows best with plenty of moisture.    Hardiness is at least from USDA zone 4 through 9.

I claim:
 1. A new cultivar of hardy herbaceous perennial Hibiscus hybridplant named ‘Summer Carnival’ as herein illustrated and described.